Method of and apparatus for separating seeds



A ril 22, 1930; w. A. RICE 1,755,747

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SEEDS Filed July 26, 1928 BY MI W flrTo A/5 n Patented Apr. 22,1930

ILLIAM A. ,RIGE, or JERsnYvILnE, ILLINOIS A o FicE METHOD OF AND. APPARATUS. FOR SEPARATINVG? SEEDS Application filed. July 26,

Thisinvention relates to a process of and mechanism for separating and cleaning seeds, and more partlcularly to a process and mechanism for separating seeds that do not become 7 5 mucilaginous when moistened from'seeds that do become mucilaginous when moistened.

The prlnclpal ob ect ofthls lnvention is to improve the process and apparatus for sep- 7 arating seeds disclosed in my U. S. Patent 1o N0. 1,411,519, issued April lth,-l9L-2, whereby the efficiency of the process and apparatus above referred tois increased more than. 200%. The process'will'be more fully understood as the mechanism for carrying it out is described. In the drawings: 1 q

Fig. l is a plan view of my preferred mechanism for carrying my process into eflect.

mechanism. 1

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the agitator and conveyor.

In order to more thoroughly understand my 7 process and mechanism, it is necessary to uni derstand the class of seeds for which itis intended, and the difficulties involved in separating the same.

My process and mechanism is especially de- A signed for separating clover seeds from 33, bucks horn seed, known in the trade as bu'ckhorn, which is a species under the Lobelia family, and also referred to as plantain. Clover seed has a smooth surface Whichis adapted to shed water and may be said to be impervious to moisture unless exposed thereto for a considerable time, while buckho-r'n seed rapidly absorbs moisture and rapidly expands with absorption. Buckhorn seeds being very-prolific and hardy crowd out other vegetation wherever they fall and vegetate. For this reason it is very important that clover seed be as nearly. free from it as possible. V

Because of its size and light Weight, it has been found impossible to separate clover seed and buckhorn in the ordinary screens and fan mills. It has, however, been found practical to remove it by screening when the buckhorn has been expanded by moisture. But. since Fig. 2is a side elevation of my preferred was; Serial nfzssnasf i the buckhorn is intimately mixed With the clover seed as it comes from athreshing ma-' chine, 1t is necessary to inolsten both the clover seed andthe-bu'ckhorn; in other words,

moisten the whole mixture before it can be merly this has been done by the application of heat, which requiresfconsiderable time,'and

there is also the danger of overheating the seeds. a V In my former patent above referred to, I

' depended upon the buckhorn seeds absorbing the moisture from the clover seed by continuously agitating the mixture of seeds, and while this'method accomplished the purpose" for which it wa's'intended, it required so long 7 a time' to do so that the process and mechanis'm was not commercially successful. I

The present invention, which has increased the output of a given size machine more than 200%, consists in passing the moistened seed mixturethrough a current of air of relative ly high velocity and great volume, in addition to the other steps set forth in said patent above referred to. i

The'mechanism for carrying out my proc- B ess consists of "a supporting framework '1 suitably mounted'upon legs 2 heldin place at their lower ends by a cross brace 3. Superimposed on the framework 1 and positioned. longitudinally thereon is an open trough 4 having a bottom 5 semi-circular in cross-section as indicated'at 6,in Fig. 2. I

A rotatable shaft/Z is longitudinally dis- 7 posed in the trough 4. and suitably jour-- nailed at each end as indicated at 8 and 9.

' plication.

7, transmits rotary motion by means of a suitable belt or sprocket chain 12. A hopper 13 is provided which delivers the mixed seeds to one end of the rotary conveyor made up of the shaft 7 and paddles 10. V

A water tank 14 located adjacent the hopper 13 delivers a regulated amount of wa ter to the seeds as they flow from the hopper. The paddles 10 rotate constantly thus agitating the seeds as they are being conveyed from one end of the trough to the opposite end thereof. I

After the seeds have been thoroughly mixed so that the moisture has had time to penetrate the buckhorn sufficiently, the paddle con veyor passes the seeds beneath a rotary radial blade fan 15, which delivers air to the conveyor, which thoroughly mixes the seedsand sawdust,'effectively absorbing whatever moisture may still adhere to the clover seeds.

The conve or continues all the while to a iof air into said moistened seeds, means for conveying said moistened seeds throughout the length of said trough, means for delivering dry sawdust into said trough, means for mixing said sawdust with said seeds, and means for discharging the mixture of seeds and sawdust from said trough.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed mysignature this 22nd day of June,

WILLIAM A. RICE.

tate the mixture and then delivers it to a suit- 7 have'beenable to'increase the capacity of a given size machine more than 200%, so that it has already reached'large commercial'ap- Having fully described method and the mechanism for carrying same into efiect,

' what I claim as new and useful and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: V

lslz-The herein described process of sepa rating seeds which become mucilaginous come mucilaginous when moistened, which consists in agitating said seed mixture and applying waterto moisten said mixture while said seed mixture is in a state of agitation,- then conveying said seed mixture while in a state of agitation through a blast of air thereby to remove'the moisture from the seeds which do not become 'mucilaginous when moistened, introducing dry: sawdust into said seed mixture while "still beingagitated, then separating the seeds and sawdust in the usual way by means of screens and fans.

2. A seed separating-mechanism of the class described, comprising a supporting frame, a a

conveyor trough mounted upon said. frame, means for delivering a mixture-of seeds to said trough,vmeans for delivering a regulated when moistened from seeds which do not ber 

